Example: AI's under contract but obviously he has some control. Players can not accept backup roles or simply not fit into them. Him and Jameer together is a mistake. They'll shoot too much and neither can guard anyone over 6'3.

You're being overdramatic.

BT, come on now... There's absolutely no reason to believe Rafer wants to get out of Orlando. Stop making up stuff.

From Hoopsworld...

"When Jameer comes back he's the starting point guard on this team," Alston told HOOPSWORLD. "I'll come off the bench. I would love out team, because you've got Jameer setting the tone and me coming off the bench and pushing the tempo even more. We could be great."

That's precisely was Smith had in mind when he acquired Alston.

"I've said all along that we were really addressing next year's problem this year when Jameer got hurt," Smith told HOOPSWORLD. "We were going to have to get another point guard, so we got Rafer and I think that's going to help us."

OK does that settle that? Rafer will finish his career in Orlando. He's already 32.

“The one thing that I haven’t seen from anyone else yet is the sense that people felt on a day there was a game in Chicago,” Grover said. “People would start to get excited at 7 and 8 in the morning. It didn’t matter if you were going to be in the arena for the game. People would want to see Michael on the expressway to the arena. Just to see him walk into the building, people would flock to come watch. They would be waiting outside and thinking, ‘What’s he going to be driving? How’s he going to look?’

I don't know any other athlete that you can say had this type of effect on a city.

BT, come on now... There's absolutely no reason to believe Rafer wants to get out of Orlando. Stop making up stuff.

From Hoopsworld...

"When Jameer comes back he's the starting point guard on this team," Alston told HOOPSWORLD. "I'll come off the bench. I would love out team, because you've got Jameer setting the tone and me coming off the bench and pushing the tempo even more. We could be great."

That's precisely was Smith had in mind when he acquired Alston.

"I've said all along that we were really addressing next year's problem this year when Jameer got hurt," Smith told HOOPSWORLD. "We were going to have to get another point guard, so we got Rafer and I think that's going to help us."

OK does that settle that? Rafer will finish his career in Orlando. He's already 32.

Right. Any thing works if you say it works, got it D. What's he supposed to say? **** the Magic for putting me into this situation? Then they take away his current starting job if he complains. We won't know how he'll react until next year if he's still on the team.

Ignore the fact that playing a 6'2 guard with a weak defensive 6'0 guard makes no sense. Ignore the fact that it's completely contrary to the 'give Jameer the team' attitude they had that lead them to maybe the best team before he went down. Ignore that Alston is almost the definition of a chucker and you'd be bringing that off the bench.

I would love to see Orlando try to pull Rafer and Jameer at the same time vs. the Lakers. Kobe would just murder them.

Right. Any thing works if you say it works, got it D. What's he supposed to say? **** the Magic for putting me into this situation? Then they take away his current starting job if he complains. We won't know how he'll react until next year if he's still on the team.

Ignore the fact that playing a 6'2 guard with a weak defensive 6'0 guard makes no sense. Ignore the fact that it's completely contrary to the 'give Jameer the team' attitude they had that lead them to maybe the best team before he went down. Ignore that Alston is almost the definition of a chucker and you'd be bringing that off the bench.

I would love to see Orlando try to pull Rafer and Jameer at the same time vs. the Lakers. Kobe would just murder them.

Did you read anything?

I said it would be against smaller lineups, such as delonte and mo.

Plenty of teams go small in this league. They would be fine playing together in certain lineups.

Either way, you're completely making **** up. We've given you quotes from the player himself, told you what the GM has said, told you what the coach has said and you still don't want to accept it.

I can't believe your come back was that they'd get murdered being matched up against Kobe. ...like they'd actually put that rotation on the floor in that scenario. Once again... pull stuff out of the air.

If Rafer himself is saying Jameer is the starter, and you still want to claim that he's lying and making that up, then you can certainly believe what you want to believe and nobody can tell you different. But this started when you said you didn't think Rafer would return. We've countered providing solid evidence stating otherwise, so we made the points we wanted to make and can move on. I'm not trying to make you a believer. Just stating the reasons why I believe it.

Even though a lot of you guys thought Rafer wasn't going to make a difference after the trade, well.... Can't say that you were right there either. So really... until I get a reason to believe, I don't think I'll follow those pied pipers.

I can't believe your come back was that they'd get murdered being matched up against Kobe. ...like they'd actually put that rotation on the floor in that scenario. Once again... pull stuff out of the air.

If Rafer himself is saying Jameer is the starter, and you still want to claim that he's lying and making that up, then you can certainly believe what you want to believe and nobody can tell you different. But this started when you said you didn't think Rafer would return. We've countered providing solid evidence stating otherwise, so we made the points we wanted to make and can move on. I'm not trying to make you a believer. Just stating the reasons why I believe it.

Even though a lot of you guys thought Rafer wasn't going to make a difference after the trade, well.... Can't say that you were right there either. So really... until I get a reason to believe, I don't think I'll follow those pied pipers.

Or it's what he says when he's tired of arguing with homers. Well, that's more specific to this scenario, but meh. I've made my argument and you won't believe it because it means the Magic won't be unstoppable. I'm not going to keep arguing when I know there's nothing I can do to stop thinking that everything involved with the Magic HAS to work out.

Or it's what he says when he's tired of arguing with homers. Well, that's more specific to this scenario, but meh. I've made my argument and you won't believe it because it means the Magic won't be unstoppable. I'm not going to keep arguing when I know there's nothing I can do to stop thinking that everything involved with the Magic HAS to work out.

Seriously... what's so homeristic about saying Rafer is going to be a Magic player beyond the end of his current contract. You don't even think he's good. For some reason, you have just decided that anything Magic related will irritate you.

I know you've been around long enough to know that I don't sing praises about the Magic 24/7. Seems like I hate their draft every year. I didn't even like Courtney Lee! Now I'm starting to like him, but it wasn't always that way. Their FA moves don't always make even common sense. All that money to Rashard was a complete joke. Don't even bring up Grant Hill's name... I might slit my wrist. I have liked the way they have used their MLE over the years... Turk/Dooling/Pietrus. But I've been a fan of them long enough to live through many pains... Shaq/Penny/T-Mac... heck... even Ben Wallace/Chucky Atkins/Chauncy Billups/Anderson Varejao/Trevor Ariza... few of the guys off the top of my head that have come through here only to enjoy success elsewhere. This team has committed so much tragedy... need I mention Fran Vazquez? How about getting me all amped up for Billy Donovan, just to see that melt through my fingers... I got amped for Darko too! Gave up a 1st rounder for him only to see that go to waste. That pick... Rodney Stuckey. Even small treasures... like Mo Evans, who was supposed to be a toss in to Brian Cook for Ariza deal. Cook failed, but Mo was a keeper I thought... we'll no... he was let go without even an offer.

This success that we are currently enjoying, imo is an accident. The Magic just got lucky. I want to believe that they have slowly gotten a little bit smarter over time... but every time I want to think that... they go trade for a guy like Tyronn Lue. They were lucky that they got Alston. Hey, I'm happy we got the guy. Do I think he's John Stockton? No. But I think he's a better PG than Jameer Nelson contrary to popular belief. I think Alston should start and Jameer should come off the bench as an instant offense type player. A spark plug.

For you to think that I think that anything the Magic touches turns to gold is pretty obsurd. If I say Alston sounds like a guy who will stick around is a homeristic opinion then that's crazy.

And honestly, I don't know about other cities, so I'm kinda curious. Any body know of any time that their whole city loved a player/team so much that a whole day was consumed with anticipation for that night?

Seriously... what's so homeristic about saying Rafer is going to be a Magic player beyond the end of his current contract. You don't even think he's good. For some reason, you have just decided that anything Magic related will irritate you.

I know you've been around long enough to know that I don't sing praises about the Magic 24/7. Seems like I hate their draft every year. I didn't even like Courtney Lee! Now I'm starting to like him, but it wasn't always that way. Their FA moves don't always make even common sense. All that money to Rashard was a complete joke. Don't even bring up Grant Hill's name... I might slit my wrist. I have liked the way they have used their MLE over the years... Turk/Dooling/Pietrus. But I've been a fan of them long enough to live through many pains... Shaq/Penny/T-Mac... heck... even Ben Wallace/Chucky Atkins/Chauncy Billups/Anderson Varejao/Trevor Ariza... few of the guys off the top of my head that have come through here only to enjoy success elsewhere. This team has committed so much tragedy... need I mention Fran Vazquez? How about getting me all amped up for Billy Donovan, just to see that melt through my fingers... I got amped for Darko too! Gave up a 1st rounder for him only to see that go to waste. That pick... Rodney Stuckey. Even small treasures... like Mo Evans, who was supposed to be a toss in to Brian Cook for Ariza deal. Cook failed, but Mo was a keeper I thought... we'll no... he was let go without even an offer.

This success that we are currently enjoying, imo is an accident. The Magic just got lucky. I want to believe that they have slowly gotten a little bit smarter over time... but every time I want to think that... they go trade for a guy like Tyronn Lue. They were lucky that they got Alston. Hey, I'm happy we got the guy. Do I think he's John Stockton? No. But I think he's a better PG than Jameer Nelson contrary to popular belief. I think Alston should start and Jameer should come off the bench as an instant offense type player. A spark plug.

For you to think that I think that anything the Magic touches turns to gold is pretty obsurd. If I say Alston sounds like a guy who will stick around is a homeristic opinion then that's crazy.

I've hated on Otis Smith so many times. MOTH has had to reason with me on numerous occasions for being too hard on the Magic (and the Cowboys) players and management.

To be honest, there isn't a lot to hate on this year. Maybe we could use a true PF who could play defense and help our offensive rebounding but what is there to be critical of?

Otis Smith is probably going to be named executive of the year. With Lewis making an all-star appearance, stealing Courtney Lee, aquiring Rafer late, and putting Orlando in a place to have their greatest single season record ever, despite losing Jameer Nelson.

The guy certainly knows talent.

Danny Ferry should be in the mix as well but, I think the Rafer deal will end up winning this award for Otis.